In that context, the continued episodes of sexual violence, as the report des...

In that context, the continued episodes of sexual violence, as the report describes, including, inter alia, rape, forced sterilization, abduction for sexual purposes and sexual slavery, to name just a few of the egregious acts of violence against women, are even more frustrating and saddening. As is recognized, women and girls are those predominantly affected by sexual violence, although men and boys are also victims of such heinous acts. The underlying reasons are varied; in some cases, it is done as a strategy to displace populations in order to gain access to natural resources or to facilitate drug trafficking, while in other cases it becomes a way to vent hatred for a certain race or ethnicity, or as political or economic retaliation. In that regard, it is disappointing that the report fails to highlight the targeted attacks against victims based on their religious beliefs, despite the persistence of such acts in nearly every region of the world. Also, the perpetrators, too, are varied and can be found in both legitimate State actors, such as those in a position of trust — members of armed or security forces, for example, or even United Nations peacekeepers — and in non-State actors.